Lace and Leather
by Lluniwr Geiriau
Summary: It all happens very fast, Gale pushes out of his chair, looking very angry and Madge is so on edge that it just happens, of it's own accord. Gale makes a strangled sound and Madge doesn't pull the taser away until he hits the ground. Madge leaves all the comforts of home behind when she goes looking for her past but finds a whole lot more than she bargained for. BIKER! Gale.


Madge scanned the crumpled slip of paper in her hand, looking, half hoping for a mistake but knew there was none. The address was correct and in her gut she knew she was in the right place. She checked her car was locked, twice, before crossing the street and had a firm grip on the taser she kept in her purse as she made her way over to the dingy bar she'd driven across three states to find.

Motorcycles lined the street outside and the windows had been blacked out. The door depicted an emblem of two crossed pistols and she had to use her shoulder to open it. The corridor she found was dimly lit but there was raucous noise coming from the room beyond. The boisterous laughter and drunken conversations all blended together and she began to hyperventilate.

She was ready to turn and leave, come back with a chaperon, when a toilet flushes and the door beside her swings open. A man a similar age to her appears, wearing black leather and grey denim and the same emblem she'd seen outside. If she had a biker fantasy, he might be it, but she didn't.

"Sorry Darlin" the man responsible grins at her and reaches out to right her on her feet and she tightens her grip on the taser "say, what's a lass like you doing here?" she was wondering the same thing as he give her a once over

"I'm looking for someone" she huffs, dusting off her jacket "do you mind?" she seethes as he continues to eye her body

"Sorry Darlin, don't get many like you in here s'all. You're not looking for me by any chance are ya?" he props himself up on the door frame and flashes her a devilish smile that would make most women melt. But she was not most women, she was a woman with a mission

"I very much doubt that" she quirks her lips up in a faux smile and ducks past him "excuse me"

"Let me get that for you madame" the stranger jogs past her and pushes open the door to chaos. Straightening herself up, she strides into the main room. Ignoring multiple whistles and unabashed staring, she goes straight to the bar which is manned by a lanky bearded man and a busty brunette in very little clothing

"What can I do for you?" the man asks, obviously confused by her presence

"I'm looking for someone. I was told I could find him here" at that, the bar quiets and Madge becomes very aware of everyones attention on her

"Sorry, don't know nothing" the man shrugs and turns back to the glasses he was drying

"But I didn't even tell you his name?" she presses

"Don't care, don't talk to law without a warrant" he moves away from her and she scoffs

"Do I look like the law to you?"

"Who you after?"

"Haymitch Abbernathy?" and then the bar falls silent and the man from before comes and leans next to her on the bar

"Never heard of him" the barman shrugs again

"Something tells me you have" Madge glances around at the men filling the room and notices every one of them is watching her "I just want to speak with him" she addresses them all

"Sorry love, I don't know who he is"

"Really?" she retorts, fuelled purely by frustration and the man shakes his head "then why is his mugshot on the wall behind you?" she fumes. It's old, the man in it more like a boy but the name is there plain as day. She raises an eyebrow at the barman and he smiles as he shrugs and the younger man from before interrupts

"Alright, why don't we have a little chat?" he says, gesturing to a hall the other end of the bar. His presence is imposing, his friendly, flirtatious manner forgotten

"I don't want any trouble"

"Neither do I, come on" Madge follows, as do every pair of eyes in the room, but her hand is squeezed so tightly around her taser it's beginning to sweat "what's your name?"

"Mandy" she lies "yours?"

"I'm Gale" he tells her, opening a door to an office "take a seat" hesitantly she does so and he sits opposite her behind a large neatly kept desk "what do you want with Haymitch?"

"To talk" she shrugs

"About what?"

"That's none of your business"

"Actually miss it is. Now you can tell me why you're here or I can have you escorted out"

"My mother gave me this address and his name" she relents

"Why?"

"Told me I'd be welcome here" she mutters "she got that wrong"

"Look lady we don't take too kindly to strangers coming in here and asking about a brother unless we know why so are you gonna spill or do I need to remove you from the premises?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"A little bit, now what do you want?" he pushes

"I want to talk to Haymitch Abbernathy" it all happens very fast, Gale pushes out of his chair, looking very angry and Madge is so on edge that it just happens, of it's own accord. Gale makes a strangled sound and Madge doesn't pull the taser away until he hits the ground.


End file.
